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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27168038">majority rules</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/tmylm/pseuds/tmylm'>tmylm</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Pitch Perfect (Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, Fluff, Triple Treble - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 01:07:01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,716</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27168038</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/tmylm/pseuds/tmylm</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>For the tumblr prompt: "a ghost in the house but turns out to be a small animal."</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell/Aubrey Posen, Triple Treble</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>108</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>majority rules</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Thank you for the prompt, <a href="https://shaneythealphawolf.tumblr.com/">shaneythealphawolf</a>! And thank you for the additional idea to make this Triple Treble! ♡</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When these occasions became such a normal, regular occurrence, Beca truly does not know. She recalls a night of good, old fashioned college experimentation fueled by an evening laced with just a little too much alcohol and a subsequent lack of inhibitions. She recalls the morning after, and the safe enough thought that it had simply been a one time thing. But then one time had become two, and in turn, two had progressed to a handful, until eventually Beca couldn’t quite remember a time before this.</p><p>And Beca is not complaining. She knows that this is unconventional, that it is kind of a strange situation that not everybody would really <em>get</em>, but perhaps the weirdest part of all, she realizes as she enters Aubrey’s second floor bedroom clutching their snacks for the evening, is that she doesn’t find it strange anymore. Spending her evenings curled comfortably between two people she cares so wholeheartedly about is as normal to Beca as the sun rising in the sky each morning and setting again in the evenings, and maybe that is the most unconventional part of it all.</p><p>Regardless, Beca finds that she never feels safer, never feels more at home than on nights like tonight, when she leans down to accept a needy yet somehow impossibly gentle kiss from none other than Chloe Beale’s tender, puckered lips, while Aubrey Posen softly takes the bowl of warm, freshly popped popcorn from her grasp, their fingers brushing so comfortably in passing. Beca pulls back to the sight of crystal blue eyes, so safe and familiar, drinking her in, until her gaze is drifting toward her favorite shade of hazel.</p><p>“Picked a movie yet?” Beca questions as she slips casually onto the mattress. Aubrey, legs crossed pretzel style, sits with her back to the wooden headboard, golden hair flowing neatly over one shoulder in that way that is just so distinctly <em>Aubrey</em>, while Chloe lay with her head resting comfortably in her lap. Both scoot slightly to make a little more room for Beca, who carefully lifts Chloe’s legs, dropping them down into her own lap once she is seated beside Aubrey.</p><p>“We’re thinking <em>Sinister</em>,” Chloe says with something of a mischievous gleam to her ocean eyes. The response causes Beca to immediately wince.</p><p>“Isn’t that horror?” she questions without much hope, because realistically, she already knows the answer.</p><p>“The scariest horror,” Chloe grins somewhat proudly, hand outstretching to settle lazily against Beca’s thigh. “I was reading this BuzzFeed article, apparently they did an experiment to see which horror movie caused people’s heart rates to spike the most dramatically, and Sinister was the winner.”</p><p>Before Beca even gets the opportunity to protest, a long arm is pushing its way protectively behind her back, and Beca cannot hold back the subtle scowl she shoots toward Aubrey. There are perks to this relationship, undoubtedly so, but ‘majority rules’, especially in situations such as this one, is certainly not one of them.</p><p>“It’s Halloween, Beca,” Aubrey reasons, nimble fingers curling securely around Beca’s arm as she tugs her body gently closer. In spite of herself, Beca doesn’t fight her; she allows Aubrey to pull her in, until she is curled comfortably into her side. “You had to know this was coming.”</p><p>“Well, yeah, but—” Beca starts, though she soon cuts herself off with tightly pursed lips and a slow exhale through her nostrils as two sets of pleading eyes bore in unison into her. “Whatever, you’re both psychos,” she murmurs indignantly, promptly ignoring the breathy chuckle Aubrey lets out in response.</p><p>Majority rules <em>sucks</em>.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Chloe falls asleep before the movie even properly begins, and Beca doesn’t even need to look up to know that Aubrey has soon followed suit. The familiar sound of her deeper breathing, coupled with the way she slumps slightly to the side, her slowly moving fingertips halting where they had previously been brushing soothingly against Beca’s arm, is hint enough.</p><p>If the television remote was closer, and Beca could reach it without waking either of them in the process, she would swiftly change the channel, but their positions see to it that she is basically trapped watching what is apparently the ‘scariest horror movie’ alone, and <em>holy fuck</em>, it really is stupid amounts of scary. Looking away doesn’t do much to help; the creepy score and strategically timed jump scares see to it that Beca is sufficiently terrified.</p><p>It is a particularly loud version of the latter that has Beca audibly yelping to the point of Aubrey startling awake.</p><p>“What?” Aubrey’s whole body jerks, fingers instinctively tightening where they rest against Beca’s arm. Immediate panic laces her tone. “What’s wrong, what happened?”</p><p>“You both fell asleep and left me with this demonic movie, that’s what happened,” Beca scoffs petulantly in response. She registers the distinct quiver to her own voice, though quickly clears her throat to even out her tone.</p><p>Evidently, in her sleepy state, Aubrey doesn’t hear it, and responds with a soft chuckle as she carefully props herself further upright in a way that doesn’t disturb Chloe, but that allows her to stretch her free arm toward Beca. Softly, she settles long fingers beneath Beca’s chin, upper body leaning closer until she can push a chaste kiss to Beca’s lips. Beca returns it halfheartedly, gaze meeting Aubrey’s through the darkness once they both pull away.</p><p>“Beca, you’re really scared, aren’t you?” Aubrey questions quietly, a look of genuine concern wrinkling across her face as she studies Beca’s slightly scrunched up expression upclose.</p><p>Beca only shrugs a shoulder in response, attempting to feign a little bravery. “Just don’t like horror movies,” she murmurs, though it is clear that Aubrey can sense her terror.</p><p>“So let’s turn it off,” Chloe’s sleepy voice mumbles from between them.</p><p>Beca glances downward to capture the sight of Chloe blinking into the darkness.</p><p>“Fine by me, I didn’t want to watch it in the first place,” Beca grumbles. She registers the way Aubrey’s soft fingertips begin to brush against her arm again, and quietly relaxes into the comforting feeling.</p><p>“She’s literally shaking,” Aubrey says, concerned expression on her face as she stretches to blindly search the mattress for the remote. The movement requires her to eventually pull her arm from around Beca’s back, and Beca has to bite back her pout of disapproval.</p><p>“Really?” Chloe pushes herself upward into a seated position, hand reaching out to brush a loose chunk of hair soothingly behind Beca’s ear. “Bec, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize it would affect you that much.” There is a pout on her lips that causes Beca to promptly roll her eyes.</p><p>“Okay, let’s not make a big deal out of it,” she whines, “I just don’t like horror movies, that’s all.”</p><p>Already, Aubrey has climbed from the bed to dutifully turn on the light. The sudden burst of brightness causes Beca to rapidly blink. It occurs to Beca that they all have their roles, ones that they slot into so easily at the drop of a hat; Aubrey with her (mostly) sound logic, Beca with her defensive guard, and Chloe, who knows so well how to cautiously peel it back down. Perhaps that is why this all works so well, they really do just all <em>fit</em>.</p><p>“It’s just a movie, okay?” Aubrey reassures gently as she clambers back onto the mattress, setting the mostly untouched bowl of popcorn out of the way.</p><p>Chloe’s fingertips trail delicately over Beca’s forearm, and Beca stares between the two sets of worried eyes scanning her expression.</p><p>“Whatever,” she murmurs, eyes rolling in response. She could make them feel bad, she really could… Or she could just simply let it go. Eventually, she decides on the latter. “You both owe me.”</p><p>In spite of the situation, as Aubrey and Chloe’s knowing gazes shift toward one another, it really doesn’t take a genius to figure out where their minds are headed. The subtle smirk tugging at Chloe’s lips is incredibly telling, and causes Beca to chuckle quietly in response.</p><p>“I didn’t mean like <em>that</em>,” Beca assures, though her eyes naturally darken as she watches the way Chloe shuffles to her knees, body moving slowly closer. A brief glance over her shoulder shows that Aubrey is just as ready to jump into action.</p><p>“I mean, if you don’t want it…” Chloe hums, her smug expression an incredibly easy read.</p><p>“I didn’t say that,” Beca mumbles, lids instantly fluttering shut beneath the feeling of parted lips pushing so naturally to her own. Her body immediately relaxes—they are both good at that, Chloe and Aubrey; helping Beca to really <em>relax</em>.</p><p>“We’ll help you forget about the movie,” Chloe murmurs into the kiss, body pressing against Beca’s until she can begin to lay her down onto the mattress. Beca has no intention of fighting her, and easily gives in to the familiar feeling.</p><p>And this happens a lot, this thing where their evenings go from curling up so comfortably together one minute, to exploring hands and parted lips pushing to trembling bodies the next. It is an occurrence that seems to work out pretty damn well for all of them, one that Beca wholeheartedly loves.</p><p>With three people in the equation, mixed sounds and random noises are really nothing out of the ordinary. However, as Chloe’s eager lips begin to trail away from Beca’s and down toward the tightened flesh of her stretched jaw, breathing already growing quickly uneven in a way that tells Beca exactly where Aubrey’s hands are, it is the sound of rustling from above that catches Beca’s attention.</p><p>“What was that?” she questions hurriedly, lids shooting open in something of a panic.</p><p>“What was what?” Chloe murmurs distractedly, lips parting to run her tongue delicately along Beca’s collarbone. The sensation causes Beca’s skin to prickle beneath her touch, and it is easy to almost forget about her momentary worry.</p><p>A scratching sound follows, an almost unnatural one that causes Aubrey’s movements to pause this time, too.</p><p>“Chlo, stop,” Beca instructs, body stiffening as she glances toward the ceiling. Chloe does as she is told, though Beca notes a look of confusion etched across her face.</p><p>“What’s wrong?” Chloe questions, nose wrinkling as she scans Beca’s expression. Chloe’s worry is not for the same reason; it is clear that she is simply concerned for Beca.</p><p>“There’s something up there,” Beca whispers, heart beginning to beat at a faster pace, and not because of the way Chloe’s lips had been pressing to her skin only seconds prior.</p><p>The next noise, something of a small bang, causes all three to jolt.</p><p>“What is that?” Aubrey questions, quickly sitting upright.</p><p>It is the look of panic on Aubrey’s face that causes Beca to immediately recoil; if even the logical one is freaking out, then what hope do they have?</p><p>“God, if it’s that fucking Sinister dude, you both are going to be so sorry,” Beca murmurs, eyes instinctively squeezing shut.</p><p>In spite of her own confusion, Chloe lets out a small chuckle as she pulls back to sit herself upright. “It’s a movie, Bec, it’s not real.”</p><p>Beca’s lids flutter open, and three sets of eyes shoot up toward the ceiling in response to the next scratch against the panels above them.</p><p>“Seriously, what <em>is</em> that?” Aubrey mumbles, scooting toward the edge of the mattress. She pushes a strand of loose blonde hair behind her ear as she stands, curious gaze still fixated up on the ceiling.</p><p>“Where are you going?” Beca hisses, watching with widened eyes as Aubrey heads cautiously toward the door.</p><p>“To see what’s making that noise,” Aubrey explains very matter-of-factly.</p><p>Beca splutters in response. “What? No,” she quickly shakes her head, “Aubrey, no. What if it’s, like… I don’t know, a ghost or something.” She hears her own words, she knows how stupid they sound, but not only is it Halloween, the creepiest night of the year, Beca has also just endured a stupidly scary movie; she cannot help letting her mind wander.</p><p>“It’s not a ghost,” Aubrey frowns, straightening out her shoulders as she reaches for the door. Beca cannot be sure, but she thinks she sounds a little less sure of herself as she continues. “There’s no such thing as ghosts.”</p><p>Before Beca even gets the chance to protest further, the same noise sounds from above them again. She glances toward Chloe with a look of horror etched onto her face, though takes in the kind expression Chloe is shooting back to her in response. “It’s not a ghost, Bec,” Chloe reassures gently, holding out her hand toward Beca. “Come on, let’s go with her, make sure she’s okay.”</p><p>And therein lies the dilemma… The last thing Beca wants to do is to go investigate the sinister noises from the attic above them, but she also doesn’t feel like staying back here alone. She may not like horror movies, but she has seen them...she knows to <em>never</em> hang back alone. So, instinctively, Beca reaches out to grasp Chloe’s hand, taking immediate comfort in the feeling of Chloe’s fingers slotting between her own.</p><p>“I promise it’s not a ghost, Beca,” Chloe says with no hint of mockery to her tone. She offers Beca a reassuring smile, followed by a gentle squeeze to her hand, before helping to tug her up from the bed. “Aubrey, wait up, we’re coming with you.”</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Beca doesn’t like horror movies, she really, really doesn’t. So, the feeling that she is literally in one right now, that she is experiencing one in real life, is about the least welcome sensation in the world. But, that is exactly the thought in her mind as she watches Aubrey carefully climbing the foldaway ladder up to the attic of the Bellas’ house.</p><p>“Dude, be careful,” Beca whines in something of a hushed tone, hand clinging tightly onto Chloe’s.</p><p>“Can you see?” Chloe questions. She is stretched up onto her tiptoes with one hand on the ladder, the other holding protectively onto Beca’s. “Use the flashlight on your phone.”</p><p>“Or just get back down,” Beca hisses impatiently, bare feet shuffling nervously against the carpeted floor.</p><p>“Both of you, be quiet,” Aubrey instructs, feet climbing cautiously onto the next ladder rung. She pauses then, and it is only at that point that Beca realizes she is holding her breath. Aubrey’s sudden gasp has her just about jumping out of her skin, though. “Oh, my God, it’s a rat!”</p><p>Unlike most of the other girls—Beca included—Aubrey is not exactly against their constant cardio workouts. In fact, considering how seriously she takes them, it could be assumed that she even kind of <em>likes</em> them. However, Beca isn’t sure she has ever seen her move just as quickly as she does in response to her attic discovery. She almost sends both Beca and Chloe hurtling toward the ground in her haste to descend the ladder.</p><p>“A rat?” Chloe questions, previously tight grasp on Beca’s hand now loosening. “Well, what is it doing up there? Is it hurt?”</p><p>“I don’t know,” Aubrey shakes her head, and Beca notes the way she visibly shudders once she is back on solid ground. “We should call an exterminator— Chloe, what are you <em>doing</em>?”</p><p>It is entirely like Chloe, with her bleeding heart for all four legged creatures, to ignore Aubrey’s protests, and to instead begin to climb up toward the attic to take a look for herself.</p><p>“Chloe, stop it,” Beca huffs, though finds herself watching almost helplessly as Chloe begins to disappear from view.</p><p>Although Chloe is no longer within touching distance, Beca’s hand doesn’t remain empty for long. It takes only a matter of seconds for Aubrey’s fingers to curl comfortably around her own, until both are holding one another’s hands without even thinking. In hindsight, it really is all kinds of dramatic, the way they stand with baited breath as Chloe investigates the dimly lit attic room. It has been a very dramatic night in general, in fact.</p><p>“Hey, little guy. What are you—” Chloe’s voice is muffled as she speaks, though she pauses briefly, upper body stretching to get a closer look. “Aubrey, this isn’t a rat, it’s a squirrel.”</p><p>“What is a squirrel doing up there?” Beca questions with a deeply furrowed brow. She murmurs the next part. “And how are you going to think a squirrel is a rat?”</p><p>“You thought it was a ghost,” Aubrey snaps back quickly, though her grip on Beca’s hand never loosens. If anything, Beca feels it tighten some, and in spite of herself, she registers the way Aubrey’s thumb begins to brush delicately against the back of her knuckles.</p><p>“I think he’s hurt,” Chloe murmurs, glancing downard from the attic door. Beca notes a distinct look of unease on her face. “Bec, can you go grab some gloves? And maybe a towel or something, too.”</p><p>“Uh, shouldn’t we wait for—”</p><p>
  <em>“Bec.”</em>
</p><p>“Okay, okay, I’m going,” Beca frowns, begrudgingly dropping her hold on Aubrey’s hand to disappear in search of the sufficient materials.</p><p>It takes a certain sense of teamwork to eventually retrieve the ghost-rat-squirrel from the safety of its darkened attic corner, but eventually, Aubrey is helping to guide Chloe back down the ladder as she delicately cradles their towel-wrapped furry friend in her arms. Beca doesn’t know much about animals, but she can tell it looks kind of terrified in spite of Chloe’s gentle touch and cautiously slow movements, and Beca cannot help but feel kind of bad for it. With its soft looking gray and white fur, it is way less terrifying once it is in the artificial hallway light.</p><p>“How hurt is it?” Beca questions once they make it to the safety of the kitchen. She watches on with an arched brow, and doesn’t fully understand why she feels almost nervous for the bundle cradled in Chloe’s arms.</p><p>“He’s not. I mean, I don’t think so, anyway. He was just curled kind of weirdly trying to get away from me up there, but I think he’s fine,” Chloe explains, cautiously brushing a gloved finger over the top of the squirrel’s head. “He’s probably just really scared.”</p><p>“Yeah,” Beca murmurs, arms folding loosely across her middle as she leans back against the kitchen counter. “I know the feeling.”</p><p>Although she grins in response, Chloe’s main focus is on the squirrel wrapped in her arms. Aubrey, on the other hand, chuckles softly, casting a fond glance in Beca’s direction. “I mean, you can see now that it’s not a ghost.”</p><p>“Or a rat,” Beca adds quickly. She mirrors the playful glare Aubrey shoots her way.</p><p>“Stop,” Chloe giggles a quiet, breathy giggle, gaze shifting toward the door. “Could one of you grab that for me? We should probably put him outside. He also could probably use some water, too. I don’t know how long he’s been up there.”</p><p>Without even pausing to figure out who is doing what, Beca dutifully heads for the door, while Aubrey makes her way instinctively to the sink.</p><p>Beca has thought it before, she is sure she will think it again: they all have their roles here; they really do just all <em>fit</em>.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>It doesn’t take long for them to stand side by side out of the open door, Chloe crouched down toward the ground with her arms tipped gently forward.</p><p>“There he goes,” Chloe says in a soft voice as their new squirrel friend hops from her arms and onto the comfort of the lightly dewy grass.</p><p>There is something almost proud parent like about the way they all watch him quickly bound away toward the nearest tree; Beca with her arms folded across her middle, Chloe with a sad smile on her face, and Aubrey with her arm wrapped loosely, protectively, around Chloe’s body.</p><p>“Think he’ll be okay?” Beca questions without trying to hold back her genuine interest. She easily takes in the nurturing expression on Chloe’s face, and something about it almost makes her quietly melt inside.</p><p>“Yeah, I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Chloe nods her head in response, turning to shoot Beca a small smile. Instinctively, she holds out a gloved hand, something Beca takes without thought. “Come on, it’s cold out here.”</p><p>The silence to befall them is almost like all three are reflecting as they finally close out the cool night time air and filter back into the comfortable warmth of their kitchen. Aubrey quickly locks the door, while Beca heads for the fridge to grab them all something to drink.</p><p>“Eventful night, huh?” Beca comments nonchalantly as she tugs open the refrigerator door, as if she hadn’t been on the verge of a heart attack just before. Her gaze moves to the shelf of chilled water bottles. “I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted.”</p><p>Focused on the fridge, she misses the look of shared amusement between Aubrey and Chloe in response.</p><p>“Mm, guess you won’t want to continue what we just started up there before then, huh?” Chloe questions in something akin to teasing, and Beca can hear the smugness lacing her voice without even looking up to see it shining through the expression on her face.</p><p>“I didn’t say that,” Beca responds quickly, eventually retrieving three water bottles.</p><p>“I don’t know, I don’t think she wants that,” Aubrey says with a gentle shrug of her shoulder. Beca glances toward her with a furrowed brow just in time to see the mischievous glimmer to her hazel eyes. Her arms are folded across her middle, stance entirely smug, just like Chloe’s. “I think she probably wants to finish the movie.”</p><p>Beca’s pointed glare earns a shared chuckle from the others in return.</p><p>“Okay, I definitely did not say that,” she scoffs, tossing a water bottle Aubrey’s way. She catches it without faltering.</p><p>And there it is again, Beca realizes, that natural, easy feeling of the sun rising and setting each day. She is reminded of it in the way it is reflected back in two sets of fondly staring eyes. No, maybe it is not the most conventional, this thing between them, but it’s their thing, and Beca is confident in the thought that she really wouldn’t have it any other way.</p><p>Well, other than the ‘majority rules’ thing, anyway—majority rules still fucking sucks.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi, <a href="http://chloebeale.tumblr.com">this is me</a>!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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